Latest news with #outdooractivity
Forbes
23-05-2025
- Forbes
Take A Hike, Literally, At These Popular U.S. Destinations
Hiking produces endorphins that boost your mood and energy. Getty Images Hiking has become one of the most popular forms of exercise. In 2024, over 63 million people in the U.S. participated in hiking at least once. This represents a significant increase compared to previous years, with a growth of about 31% since 2010. There are many reasons to take a hike. Hiking strengthens the muscles in your body, while stimulating the feel-good chemical hormones of adrenaline and endorphins that boost your mood and energy. Hiking can help build stronger muscles and bones, improve your sense of balance, increase heart health and is a great way to burn calories. According to the National Park Service, hiking is the perfect full-body workout that not only impacts your physical health, but the ideal way to clear your mind for your mental health. AllTrails is the quintessential guide for hikers. Search over 450,000 trails with trail information, maps, detailed reviews and photos curated by millions of hikers, campers and nature lovers. With a simple but important message of 'helping the world find its way outside,' AllTrails can turn a couch potato into an outdoor adventure seeker. Park City offers a wide variety of hiking trails. AllTrails Home to 400 miles of hiking trails, Park City, Utah boasts hiking terrain for all levels, ages and even for furry friends. From the panoramic views along the Mid Mountain Trail to the dog-friendly paths of Round Valley, there is something for every adventurer. Close to Park City, Donut Falls Trail is a 3.3-mile out-and-back trail. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 1 hour 29 minutes to complete. This is a very popular area for hiking and walking, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. The best times to visit this trail are June through October. Where to stay: Montage Deer Valley is an adventure lover and outdoor enthusiasts dream in the summer, with hiking trails directly on-property. Hikers can cross a bridge for stunning vistas. All Trails One of America's greenest cities is a hiker's paradise, with Forest Park, a 5,200-acre urban forest with over 80 miles of trails, alpine lake hikes near Mount Hood and stunning waterfall trails in the Columbia River Gorge. Where to stay: The Nines offers hotel guests an easy way to explore the great outdoors and beauty of Oregon outside the hustle and bustle of downtown Portland. Providing something for every type of traveler, Les Clefs d'Or Concierge Patrick McNearney curates a seasonally changing excursion menu including a diverse range of outdoor activities within Portland's city limits and beyond. The Adirondacks are a hiker's paradise. AllTrails Adirondack Park, the largest wilderness preserve in the lower 48 states, spans six million acres, bigger than Grand Canyon, Smoky Mountains, and Yosemite combined, with thousands of miles of trails for beginners to challenging High Peaks hikes through forests, rocky terrain and stunning summit views for the advanced. Get to know Hurricane Mountain Trail Southern Approach, a 6.2-mile out-and-back trail near Keene Valley, New York. Generally considered a moderately challenging route. This is a very popular area for birding and hiking, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. The best times to visit this trail are March through October. Where to stay: The Point, a 75-acre, 11-room all-inclusive resort, offers numerous onsite hiking trails (both guided and self-guided) and a wide variety of other seasonal outdoor activities, from boating and axe-throwing in the summer to ice curling and cross-country skiing in the winter. Hikers can ascend the trails of Big Sky ski resort. Montage Big Sky Hiking in Big Sky, Montana offers everything from serene forest trails to challenging alpine climbs, with stunning views, wildlife sightings and access to pristine wilderness in the heart of the Rockies, with close proximity to the first national park, Yellowstone. Experience the Beehive Basin Trail, 6.8-mile out-and-back trail. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 3 hours 38 minutes to complete. This is a very popular area for backpacking, camping, and hiking. The best times to visit this trail are May through October. Dogs are welcome and may be off-leash in some areas. Where to stay: Located within Big Sky's 3,530-acre Spanish Peaks enclave and just an hour from Yellowstone National Park lies Montage Big Sky, the remote and refined mountain retreat and first luxury five star property in the region. Virginia Beach offers a surprising number of hiking trails. Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau A hidden gem on the east coast, explore the natural beauty of Virginia Beach's First Landing State Park and False Cape State Park. Trek the quiet paths of Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, take a historic hike up Cape Henry Lighthouse. Cape Henry Trail to Long Creek Trail, a 5.4-mile loop trail near Virginia Beach, is considered an easy route, taking an average of 1 hour 35 minutes to complete. This is a popular trail for hiking, running and walking, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime. Ascend to the nation's first Nautilus Lookout Tower, connect to a canopy walkway, and explore treehouse trails high above the forest floor at Owl Creek Landing. Pleasure House Point Loop, a 2-mile loop trail near Virginia Beach, is generally considered an easy route. It takes an average of 34 minutes to complete. This is a popular trail for hiking, running and walking, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit any time. Dogs are welcome, but must be on a leash. Enjoy Lake Lawson Loop Trail. This 1.6-mile loop trail near Virginia Beach, Virginia. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 29 minutes to complete. Where to stay: After traversing the parks or climbing towers with stunning views, recharging will be necessary. The Delta Hotels by Marriott Virginia Beach Bayfront Suites is the ideal base due to its proximity and winning amenities including a private beach, delicious flavors of the waterfront Tides Coastal Kitchen. The Catskills offer numerous majestic hiking locations. AllTrails From short, family-friendly hikes in the dense woods to Catskills 3500 Club peaks (33 peaks above 3500 feet in elevation), the Catskills offer endless adventure for hikers of all levels in the Northeast. Overlook Mountain Trail, a 4.6-mile out-and-back trail near Woodstock, New York, is considered a moderately challenging route, taking an average of 2 hour 47 minutes to complete. This is a very popular area for hiking, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. The best times to visit this trail are April through November. Where to stay: Nestled over 100 secluded acres along the Toronto Reservoir, The Chatwal Lodge is the perfect luxury outpost to embark on outdoor adventures. A young traveler hikes along mountain paths. getty
CNET
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNET
My All-Time Favorite Headphones for the Outdoors Are 31% Off for Memorial Day
For anyone who walks, runs, cycles or does just about anything outside on a regular basis, I always give the same piece of advice: Ditch those noise-canceling headphones. Don't get me wrong. I have a pair of big over-the-ear headphones that have spectacular noise cancellation, and I love them. But when I'm outside -- especially if I'm close to fast-moving cars and heavy traffic -- I need to be able to hear the world around me and not just my music or whatever podcast I'm bingeing at the moment. In those cases, I want something like the OpenFit true wireless headphones from Shokz. I love a good pair of headphones, but I don't love spending a ton of money on them. My threshold is about $100, which is why when all of my cycling friends started raving about bone-conduction headphones a few years back, I was more than a little hesitant because I would probably only use them when working out. However, now is a great time to get in on this innovative headphone technology. Best Memorial Day Deals CNET's team of shopping experts have explored thousands of deals on everything from mattresses and TVs to everyday essentials and outdoor fun so you can shop the best Memorial Day deals in one place. See now The Shokz OpenFit headphones are currently marked down to $125, an 31% discount, thanks to Amazon's Memorial Day sale. These headphones are designed to be used in places where bone conduction may not be enough, and as a result, I'm rarely seen without mine on. You can grab these headphones at a great price in both black and beige. A week after I picked these up, I was nearly sideswiped by a pickup truck, and the only thing that saved me was hearing it come up behind me. There's a reason these are recommended on our list of the best running headphones you can buy. If you're looking for outdoor-friendly workout headphones, my first recommendation is always Shokz, formerly known as Aftershokz. Bone-conduction headphones sit just outside your ear, resting on the bone. Music vibrates through a set of pads into your skull, and you hear those sounds as if they're coming from a speaker a few feet away. You can hear everything you're listening to on your phone without interrupting the sounds coming from the rest of the world around you. For cyclists and runners -- really anyone who does anything outside -- this is a game-changing experience. It's more accurate and pleasing than normal headphones with "passthrough mode," and you sacrifice very little in audio quality. My favorite bone-conduction headphones -- and I've tried them all -- are the OpenRun Pro headphones from Shokz. They're waterproof (which means they're easy to clean when I'm all sweaty), the battery lasts me about 7 hours on a charge (perfect for those 70-mile riding days), and they're comfortable enough that I can wear them all day and not feel them pressing on me. They charge magnetically with a proprietary charger, but Shokz includes two cables in the box in case you lose things as I do. If these headphones are a little rich for your blood, no worries. Shokz also has cheaper OpenRun and OpenMove bone-conduction headphones with up to 6 hours of battery life and IP55 dust and water resistance. Whether you're physically active outdoors or you just like exploring new things, I highly recommend giving these headphones a try. The Shokz OpenMove make a great gift for an outdoor runner The Shokz make a great gift, either for yourself or the outdoor runner in your life. Not only are they the best of their kind, but gifting these to a runner may also give you some peace of mind to know they're a little safer when they're out running alongside busy streets or other high-traffic areas. If you're looking for other gift ideas, check out our roundup of the best Father's Day gifts or the best gifts for grads. For more discounted tech, check out the best Memorial Day deals going on now and our running list of the best headphone deals.
Globe and Mail
17-05-2025
- Climate
- Globe and Mail
Sauna culture wins Canadian converts as mobile businesses bring the heat to them
On a spring morning in Toronto, Sedar Sauna's first group of the day takes a dip in Lake Ontario so they can warm themselves in the cedar box across the beach. to view this content.
CTV News
15-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Calgary retirement home grants wish for 86-year-old senior
86-year-old Bill Hart's simple wish for a day out fishing was granted by Prominence Way Retirement Community, the Calgary seniors' home where he lives.
Telegraph
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
‘Padel has made my life a living hell. It's like being at the Somme'
At 75, Jenni Chilvers expected to be spending more time in her garden. But this week, when the sun was shining in a cloudless blue sky, temperatures were nudging into the 70s and the wisteria was cascading down the front of the house like a glorious mauve waterfall, she barely set foot out of doors. Chilvers is a victim of the latest blight to hit the leafy suburbs of Middle England. Her home, in a quiet cul-de-sac in Winchester, Hampshire, one of England's oldest cities, backs on to three padel courts. If you had not yet heard of padel, it was only a matter of time. It is the world's fastest-growing racquet sport; some, including the Lawn Tennis Association, even claim it is the world's fastest-growing sport, full stop. Everyone agrees it is good to get people active, and padel appeals to players of all ages and abilities. The problem is the noise. If there is anything louder than the grunts and exclamations of a padel player in full flight, it is the crack of the padel ball against the bat or the glass sides of the court. The sound has been likened to a volley of gunshots. The players evidently swear a lot, too. The sport is played with bats made of hard, expanded, foam-like, large table tennis racquets – and as the court is smaller than a tennis court, the volleys are faster and more furious. The ball can also be played off the walls and even, if the player is quick enough, from outside the court. Peter Chilvers, Jenni's husband, at 82 semi-retired from his job as a building surveyor, says his wife is particularly susceptible to noise. Even in summer, they have to keep the windows closed as the padel courts are in use from 8am to 9pm seven days a week. He says he tries to grit his teeth and ignore the, pardon the pun, racket. Mr Chilvers says: 'My wife is ultra-sensitive about the noise. It spoils her enjoyment in the garden. I kind of put up with it. If you get all the courts used at once by good players, it's like being on the Somme: boom, boom, boom, boom.' Mrs Chilvers says: 'At first, they tried to argue that padel is no louder than tennis, but that's manifestly untrue. Last year, I was very unwell and I'd try to have a rest in the afternoon, but there was the shouting and the thwacking when the ball hits the bat, the wall or the fence. When you have all three courts being used, it's unbearable, it's dreadful. In the house, with the windows closed and the curtains drawn, you can still hear it. 'We are probably worse affected than anybody because it's literally at the end of the garden.' The couple has noticed a difference between tennis players and padel players. Peter says: 'It does attract a different crowd. Tennis players are normally well behaved, but there's a lot of shouting and swearing from padel players. For the world, padel is probably a good innovation, because it's exercise and people get involved and seem to like it, but not when it's in your back garden.' The Chilverses' home adjoins the Winchester Racquets and Fitness (WRF) Club, which has been there since 1910, 60 years before padel was invented by Enrique Corcuera, a businessman from Acapulco, Mexico, who converted his squash court. Padel spread first through Latin America and Spain and then caught on among expats on the Costas, who brought it back to Britain. Said to be easier and less demanding than tennis, padel is an enjoyable way to get exercise. As it is usually played as a doubles game with four people, it can also be more sociable. Since 2011, when the first padel court was built in Britain, more than 140 padel clubs have sprung up, along with 760 courts. There are hundreds more in the planning pipeline. The issue of noise has been one of the biggest constraints, and several tennis clubs in residential areas have been forced to withdraw or amend applications to convert tennis courts to padel courts. The changeover has also pitched padelistas against more traditional tennis players worried about losing facilities to their rivals. The incentive for the clubs is that they can fit more padel courts in and therefore generate more revenue. Padel wars have broken out in middle-class ghettos such as St George's Hill in Surrey; Bath; Cheltenham; Lytham St Annes, Lancashire; and Enfield and Hampstead in London. The WRF has been issued with a noise abatement order by Winchester city council, which requires the club to propose an acceptable solution within six months. It was issued at the end of January and the club has six months to say what it intends to do to comply. Tim and Ruth Cooling moved to a large detached house that backs on to the WRF club so they could play their favourite sports without having to commute. He is now a keen padel player as well as captain of the squash team. He says the noise is noticeable but not a problem for someone who grew up with a railway line at the bottom of the garden. He thinks the long-term solution is to cover the padel courts possibly with a translucent 'bubble' like the one that covers several of the tennis courts. 'At the moment, the courts are out of action if it's raining or if it's very gusty, and the club loses revenue when they are not in use. The initial cost would be more expensive, but they do have to do something about the noise anyway.' Mr Cooling, an NHS manager, says: 'Padel has emerged as a sociable sport for people who enjoy racquet sports but either find tennis too technically tricky or want to step back from the intensity of playing a game like squash. 'It's still moving your body, you're still raising your heart rate and it's easy to learn. Tennis is hard to learn. With squash you are trying hard not to have a heart attack. 'Padel is fun to play and more accessible, and it's just gaining in popularity. 'Padel courts are springing up all over the place in Winchester. The politics of it are that padel is growing in popularity, but with space at a premium, padel courts are having to be built on tennis courts – and tennis members are militantly getting themselves organised to try to block them. They are militarily organised here. They will flood committees with people who are not sympathetic to padel to block expansion of the game. 'Tennis members don't want to lose tennis courts; padel members want more padel courts because they are hard to book as it's very popular. Clubs are a bit stuck because they are trying to please all their members and they are trying to think about what's going to work financially and try not to lose the ethos of what their club is there to do. 'The problem that we have here is going to be echoed all across the land. They are trying to balance having this new, popular sport with a finite amount of land with this noise thing in the background as well.' Unlike sports such as golf, padel is economically accessible. Bats, the most expensive item of equipment, cost from £50 to £500 for the more sophisticated versions. Unlike with the higher echelons of tennis, there's no uniform and balls can be bought for £4.99 each. Prada has recently launched a sleek black padel bat for £1,530, but that's probably not going to make you a better player – just a poorer one. There are already an estimated 90,000 players in the UK and the number will only increase if the sport is included in the 2032 Olympics, if the International Padel Federation gets its way. One woman leaving a large new-build property shielded from the WRF only by a 20ft-high hedge says she no longer needs an alarm clock in the mornings. At 8am, without fail, the grunting and thwacking starts. She said: 'It's the 40-year-old men getting rid of their frustrations.' Having a 'padel problem' is not going to earn residents of the leafier parts of Winchester a huge amount of sympathy. Think ' first world problems '. Tim Cooling admits: 'It's a difficult case to carry off, because no one cares about people who live in million-pound-plus houses who have a bit of noise at the bottom of the garden. It does drift quite quickly into 'what a nice problem to have' territory.' Winchester Racquets and Fitness did not respond to a request for a comment but it clearly recognises the game can create something of a racket. Recently, it objected to a housing development on the site of a former old people's home next to the courts. In its letter to the council, it says that it has 'always sought to co-exist harmoniously with its residential neighbours but has received complaints about noise from the use of the padel courts'. The WRF said this matter was being taken 'very seriously' and that it was in the process of 'investigating options and means of reducing noise impact'. If the application were allowed, however, there would be a 'high risk of a significant adverse noise impact on the residents from the legitimate operation of the WRF's padel courts'. And before planning is granted, the council should be 'satisfied that the proposed residential scheme and the WRF may co-exist without causing significant adverse noise impact on the future occupants of the proposed development'. It is an irony that Mr Chilvers, whose living room was built long before padel was invented, is keen to point out as bish-bash-bosh echoes in the background.
